Omicron: Canada slams travel ban on Nigeria, 9 other African countries

By Ajuma Edwina Ameh

In a bid to curtail the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the Canadian authorities have issued a travel ban on Nigeria and nine other countries.

The other countries affected by the travel ban include South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Egypt.

This is coming as the Nigeria Center for Disease and Control (NCDC) earlier announced that two cases of Omicron variant had been detected in the country.

Making the announcement, the Canadian Transport Minister, Omar Alghabra, said foreign nationals who had been to these countries in the previous 14 days would be temporarily banned from entering Canada.

Alghabra said Canadians and permanent residents who have been in the 10 countries, including those who have been fully vaccinated, must be tested before entering Canada.